Reading
Reading is integral to every child's education.
Read Write Inc. (RWI) and Fresh Start
At St. Teath we have invested a large amount of expertise and time into planning a system of lessons from our Reception class through to Year 2, using the Read, Write Inc. early phonics program and we utilise the Pre School resources in our EYFS.
A solid understanding of phonics lays the foundation to fluency and reading competency. As soon as they begin in Reception, children embark upon their reading journey following a daily Read Write Inc. lesson - a systematic phonics program. This program of lessons is delivered everyday in order to give children the tools they need to identify sounds, blend them and develop their fluency in reading.
Children are assessed on entry to the school and at various stages of the year and assigned a group that best suits their needs. This allows staff to pick up on any misconceptions for immediate individual intervention. It is intended that all children make rapid progress reading these initial sounds and then can use them when reading high-quality decodable texts which relate to the sounds they have been taught.
Once children are secure in identifying all their initial sounds and blends, they will move from the RWI scheme to Accelerated Reader. The school has invested a large sum of money developing its reading scheme with a range of books which should inspire all readers.
We also use the Fresh Start reading intervention for children further up the school who need some extra work on phonics.
We aim for our children to develop a love of reading, both fiction and non-fiction. As a school we give children regular opportunities to read, not only as a tool for learning, but more importantly, to develop a love of books and their contents. Each class has its own library of age appropriate texts, which the children are actively encouraged to enjoy through class free-reading time.. We also have a 'recommended reads' library where books are chosen by all members of staff to encourage children to engage in, and foster a love of reading. (See below)
Read Write Inc. – A guide for parents
Accelerated Reader
For children who are not on the Read Write Inc. scheme, we use Accelerated Reader. It is a whole class management and monitoring program, that aims to foster independent reading. The scheme enables teachers to monitor the reading development and practices of our pupils, and provides tools to quickly ascertain their reading level, reading age and comprehension level.
Pupils are assessed and given a numbered book band range from which to choose from. Once they have read a book, children take an online quiz and get immediate feedback. The programme encourages pupils to read independently and more importantly at their own pace and level.
Book Buddies
We give opportunities for the older children team up with the younger children, in a system we call 'Book Buddies'. They enjoy sharing stories with each other and discussing books.
Recommended Reads
All staff share their enthusiasm for reading by sharing their 'recommended reads', which children can borrow. Children from each year group also recommend their favourite books. We also have 'reading windows' with author ideas and books that we'd like to share!
We love to read!
We have developed our reading offer to embed a love of reading.
This is our school reading spine:
In our 'book nook' we have been making it more accessible and enhancing the area. In 2025 we will be adding artwork that children have planned with us....watch this space!
Our book nook:
what does reading look like in eyfs at st teath school and pre school.pdf